Ski in / Ski out: The Ultimate Convenience

Ski in / ski out is often heralded as the Golden Goose of ski property; difficult to find, expensive and far more popular than any other type of mountain property. It’s often one of the first things on a property hunter’s list, so ski in / ski out chalets in the better known resorts never stick around long.

Resorts like Les Menuires in the Trois Vallees might not be the most attractive around, but the fact that there is a good amount of ski in / ski out available and it’s a fairly lively town in France’s most famous ski area means it’s a popular option. Similarly, La Tania has easy access to the piste, and new properties there are hugely convenient for the skiing and the resorts in the area.

Elsewhere, finding good ski in / ski out projects gets more difficult; there are a few scattered across a range of the most popular resorts, from Grindelwald and Wengen to the 4 Valleys, Les Arc and Crans-Montana. As you might expect from resorts as popular as these, ski in / ski out is like gold dust. This is especially true of ski in / ski out in a central position close to the bars, restaurants and shops. The main benefit of ski in / ski out is convenience; with a ski in / ski out chalet, there is no lugging your equipment up the road to the closest ski piste, you just clip in and go.

Having said that, there are often some trade-offs that need to be made for that. With most European resorts having been growing since the early 20th Century, much of the ski in / ski out is a way out from the centre of the resort, making enjoying the resort nightlife harder than it would be in a centre-ville apartment or chalet.

As with many of the choices you need to make when buying a ski property, whether you buy ski in / ski out will depend largely on what you’re looking for. I think we all agree whether you want good nightlife or excellent children’s facilities, ski in / ski out is a bonus we’d all like to see in our chalets.